UK: The Lilley-Howard package
01 November 1995
The Social Security Secretary, Peter Lilley, and Home Secretary, Michael Howard, have put together the most extensive package of anti-immigrant and anti-refugee measures which threaten to destroy asylum rights and the immigration appeals system as well as creating untold misery among immigrants and refugees in the UK.
On 11 December during the second reading of the Asylum and Immigration Bill in the House of Commons Mr Howard announced the government's "white list" which they deem to be "safe". The countries on the list are: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ghana, India, Pakistan, Poland and Romania. Amnesty International strongly criticised the list: "We have serious concerns about all the countries on the list", they said. This year there have been 7,980 applicants from the seven countries on the "white" list, of which only 85 have been granted refugee status or exceptional leave to remain. The change on social security regulations takes away a range of benefits currently available to asylum seekers.
A number of organisations are campaigning to stop the regulations and the bill from becoming law. Actions so far include a symbolic hunger strike and picket by asylum-seekers and anti-racists outside the Social Security Advisory Committee on 6 December, the day the minister receives its recommendations; further actions planned include a lobby of parliament on 19 December; a rally on 13 January in London and a national demonstration on 24 February.
For further information contact: the National Network Against Detentions and Deportations, c/o CARF, BM Box 8784, London WC1N 3XX, Tel 0171-837 1450